In order to make life easier we have recently compiled a list of what papers and dates we have available on microfilm. A copy of this list has been stuck to the window of the Library's Microfilm Room. Where known, we have listed any dates missing from our collection. We receive our copies from the State Library of Queensland in Brisbane and hold exactly the same dates as they do. Therefore we are unfortunately not able to get hold of missing issues/pages.

People use our microfilm collection for many different purposes. Probably its biggest use is for genealogical research (births, deaths, marriages, etc). However, we have also had people print off the front page of the newspaper of their birthday, or that of their children or grandchildren. They then piece together the printed A4 pages and laminate them to make them an interesting birthday present.

It is very intriguing to see what life was like back then, what was considered newsworthy, and how they wrote about events. It's often the case that when you are looking for something in particular, you get caught up in looking at something else because it inevitably catches your eye.

For example while I was searching, I found in the Social and Personal column on August 5 1933, that the Rev. Father M. Lynam was struck down with influenza and became "an inmate" of St. Vincent's private hospital. On the same day, it was noted that "Miss Brosnan was a passenger for the south by last evening's mail train." The October 6 1909 edition contained a detailed report of a burglary case being tried in court. It went so far as to name the jury members selected to hear the case. Of interest also, was that in the early 1900s, the front page of the newspaper contained more ads than news.

If you would like to use our microfilm collection you will need to make a booking at the front counter or over the phone. The only cost is printing (A4 only, black and white only) which is 40 cents per page. Unfortunately there is no index of articles, so knowing a specific or approximate date or range of dates makes life much easier. A responsible adult should accompany students wishing to use the collection for research.

If you're researching relatives or something that happened in Bundaberg in the past, keep our microfilm collection in mind. The collection is literally history on film, and more importantly, local history on film.